Magdalen Walks - 'Colegate's Architecture through the Ages' with Andrew Eeles

Magdalen Walks, a group that meets to build and give local walks, has made a series of 6 films based around Magdalen Street in Norwich. Each one has been made by a different person and each shares with us something special that they have noticed about the area. 

In this film Andrew gives us a glimpse into his world, one of wandering down hidden passages and noticing the often missed detail on buildings. What does it reveal about the people that lived there?

For details about Andrew's walk on October 8th see below:

To enlarge, please click on image

Textile Manufacturing in and around Georgian Colegate

Dear Magdalen Walkers,

The congregation at St George’s Colegate, Norwich, are delighted to host a talk on 'Textile Manufacturing in and around Georgian Colegate’ by Dr Michael Nix on Saturday 22nd October at 6pm, followed by drinks.

The fine medieval church of St George's Colegate is a celebration of the weavers and manufacturers who created the wealth to help build and shape it over the centuries. The recent renovation work on its exceptional Georgian interior is in turn being celebrated by a talk given by Dr Michael Nix at the church on 22 October at 6pm, followed by drinks. The talk will focus on various aspects of the trade: from the merchant-manufacturers who produced fabrics sent all over the world including South America and China; to woolcombers and yarn-makers and the factors who dealt in wool, worsted, cotton and silk; to dyers whose skills in using rich, vibrant dyes transformed natural coloured yarns and cloth into articles desired by customers. Amongst those discussed will be the Anglican merchant-manufacturer John Tuthill, whose monument can be seen in the church, the Quaker John Lindoe who had commercial connections in north America; the Unitarian wool and yarn factor John Taylor whose wife Susannah was at the centre of the community's intellectual life, and the Anglican Michael Stark, noted for his scientific talents and the father of the Norwich School artist James Stark.

Dr Michael Nix, formerly Research Manager Textiles and Technology, Glasgow Museums, will be drawing on his recent studies of the production of Norwich Stuffs  and the complicated international trade based upon these between 1750 and 1820; he has added to earlier scholarly literature with a wealth of new information, including that gathered during his recent study visit to the Winterthur museum in Delaware, US.

Any queries to Catherine Waddams (c.waddams@uea.ac.uk).

The 'Barbarous Foes' of Bryant Lewis

In the middle of a day full of meetings, I decided to listen to my own advice and take some quality time doing some informal learning. Given that Norwich has the largest collection of urban medieval churches in northern Europe it isn't difficult to wander in, explore and learn something new. And so it proved when I visited St George's Colegate...

There are many wonderful things within this lovely well-lit church. On this occasion the thing which grabbed my attention, and stretched my imagination, was the ledger slab (grave stone) just inside the nave entrance...

The first thing that seized my attention was the simple skull and crossbones. Just to make sure we get the message, the crossed bones over the hourglass speak of the sands of time and mortality. And in the centre is a death shroud - "Remember death for you shall die". 

When I read the inscription I was fascinated to learn that this is the memorial to a man - Bryant Lewis - who, on September 13th 1698, was murdered on a heath near Thetford, having been stabbed fifteen times. 

There's a story here, and I would love to discover more about it. But, even if we are not able to establish any further facts about this case, we can imagine...

... We can imagine:

* The shock and pain of his loved ones upon hearing the news of his murder

* The tears that splashed down on the cold church floor as his body was lowered into the earth

* The sense of vengeance his surviving relatives must've have felt

* The desperation of the perpetrator - or perpetrators - of this terrible crime, to cover their tracks and escape the hangman's rope

And reading the epitaph on this monument one is struck by the searing anger felt by Bryant's loved ones:

'"Fifteen wide wounds this stone veils from thine eyes,

But reader, hark their voice doth pierce the skies.

Vengeance, cried Abel’s blood against cursed Cain,

But better things spake Christ when he was slain.

Both, both, cries Lewis ’gainst his barbarous foes,

Blood, Lord, for blood, but save his soul from woe.'

Be curious - explore

Colin Howey